Garter.



No. 697,504. Patented Apr. l5, I902;

n. B. LITTLEFIELD.

GARTER.

(Application filed Mar. 28, 1901.)

(No Model.)

A/I'Z 2255525 ml: mums Irvin; cc., rnnto-uwq, WASNINGTOR, a a

. UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

DANIEL l3. LITTLEFIELD, OF CHICAGO, ILLINOIS.

GARTER.-

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No'. 697,504, dated April 15, 1902. Application filed March 28,1901. Serial No. 53,296. (No model.)

To all whom, it may concern:

Be it known that I, DANIEL B. LITTLEFIELD, a citizen of the United States, residingatOhicago, in the county of Cook and State of Illinois, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Garters, of which the following is a specification.

My invention relates to improvements in garters for half-hose.

Theobject of my invention is to provide such a garter which will be securely held in place, readily put on and removed, and readily adjusted. In most garters of this class the stocking is supported by a single loop of fabric or elastic, which passes diagonally around the leg, extending from a point adjacent to the top of the stocking backward and upward to a point above the swell of the calf of the leg. With such garters the loop of the fabric is necessarily somewhat larger than the circumference of the leg. This and the fact that the stocking pulls diagonally downward upon the leg-encircling loop tends to draw the garter down over the calf of the leg to a greater or less degree, with the result that the stocking is not held firmly and trimly in place. If the garter is adjusted sufficiently tight to overcome this objection, an unpleasant and undesirable contriction of the leg results.

An object of my invention is to overcome this and other disadvantages of similar garters by providing a garter which shall have two loops, one of which shall be adapted to fit snugly around the narrow part ofthe leg just below the knee, and the other of which, being attached to and supported by the first of said loops, will extend diagonally from a point under the knee to a suitable point at the fi'ont or one side of the leg, where this second loop will connect with any suitable stocking-attaching device. These and such other objects as may hereinafter appear are attained by the device shown in the accompanying drawings, in which- Figure 1 shows my improved garter in one of its simpler forms in place and attached to the upper edge of a sock. Fig. 2 shows the same garter detached. Fig. 3 is a detail of one of the modifications of my garter, and Fig. 4 is a detail of the ad justing-slide shown in Fig. 3.

Like letters of reference indicate the same parts in the several figures of the drawings.-

Referring by letter to the accompanying drawings, A is a piece of elastic, webbing, or other suitable fabric, upon which are slidably mounted the attaching devices B and C. In the drawings, B is a hook, and C a ring; but any suitable separable buckle or other at taching device may be used. The strip or loop of fabric A, being doubled and booked, as shown in Fig. 2, forms an upper loop D and a lower loop E. To the lowerloop and preferably to the ends of the strip A is attached any suitable stocking-engaging device, such as the clasp F, suspended from the elastic loop G. The total length of the loops D E may be adjusted by a slide I-I upon either or both ends of the fabric. In use it will be found that when the double loopis passed around the leg, as shown in Fig. 1, the tension upon the fabric will hold the loops in the relative adjustment which is made when the garter is put on. If preferred, however, the relative adjustment of the loops may be made and maintained by means of friction-slides I, each slide engaging both of said loops at a point adjacent to the slidably-mounted attaching devices B C. These slides, as shown in the drawings, consist of a rectangular frame provided with a vertical cross-piece. The loops D E areinserted in the opening between one side wall of the slideand the cross-piece, are passed over the cross-piece, and then be tween it and the opposite side wall of the slide. It will thus be seen that the slide I is loosely mounted upon the double loops D E, which maybe freely adjusted therethrough. When, however, the loops have been merely adjusted to the desired relation to each other and. are then drawn taut within the slides I, as shown in Fig. 3, the friction between the surface of the loops and the side walls and cross-pieces of the friction-slides I will permit any automatic change of the relative adjustment between the loops D E, either when the garter is being put on or removed, while it is in use, or while it may be loosely handled, whereas if the device be constructed as shown in Fig.

'2 the loops D E may slide freely through the ring 0, so that the loop D may be made smaller and the loop E larger, or vice versa, such construction necessitating the readjustment of the relative size of these loops when= ever the garter is on.

It will be seen that this garter may be in' stantaneously put on by passing the ends of the loops D E around the leg and fastening them together by the attaching devices B O. The upper loop D will then fit snugly around the narrow portion of the leg just below the kneeand willnotbereadilydisplaced. Being so held in place, it will securely support the lower loop E, which will also he supported on the leg in the same manner as the usual one-loop garter of this sort. At the same time the strain upon the upper loop D being exerted indirectly on a diagonal line from the stocking-attaching means through the loop E to the points of attachment B C, there will be very little displacing strain exerted upon the upper loop D, and the garter and attached sock will be held securely in place and with a minimum constriction of the muscles of the leg.

Obviously many variations in details may be made, as in the clasp at the back of the leg, the stocking-engaging means, the engagement between the lower loop and the stocking-elasp,the number of adj usting-slides, &c. but such variations are contemplated by my invention and do not constitute a departure from the spirit thereof.

Having thus described my invention, what where they join each other for separably elosing said loops, substantially as described.

3. A hose-supporter, comprising a band doubled upon itself to form upper and lower loops, an adjustable friction-slide mounted upon one of the doubled ends of said band, means attached to the doubled ends of said band for separably connecting said ends to each other, and means connected with said lower loop for engaging a stocking, substantially as described.

DANIEL l-l. Ll'l"LEFIELD.

Witnesses:

M. E. SHIELDS, O. R. BARNEF'I. 

